Programs

Collendina Cobras Football Club

Collendina Cobras Football Club

Collendina Junior Football/Cricket Club in partnership with Ocean Grove, is a proud community based junior club.

Cobras annual Gala Day is back and bigger than ever.

Ocean Grove Cobras is excited to officially launch season 2019 with a fun family gala day on Sunday 3 March from 1-3pm.

The day will allow the local community the opportunity to get to know the town’s junior football club while having some fun at the same time. Highlights will include skills and fitness sessions, jumping castles, games, merchandise sales and the opportunity to register for the season ahead. Cobras Gala Day will celebrate all things junior footy.

Last year’s first ever Cobras Gala Day was attended by over 200 children and their families, and as a result of its success it’s back this year with exciting new additions.

With the prominence of junior sport in this growing region and some ambitious plan around new club rooms for our club, the OGCJFC has invited local politicians to the event and they have kindly taken up the invitation. Confirmed attendees include, Corangamite Member, Sarah Henderson, Corangamite Opposition Member, Libby Coker, along with State Bellarine Member (also State Police Minister) Lisa Neville. Bellarine ward councillors for the City of Greater Geelong, Trent Sullivan and Stephanie Asher will also be in attendance.

Adding to the attendee list, much to our players delight, are a surprise Geelong Cats player and several players from the Ocean Grove Senior Football Club, including current Coach and ex-Cobra, Jordy Jones.

Ocean Grove Cobras President, Shaun Stow, said “Our Gala Day isn’t a political function but an event to celebrate the kids, our club and the community we live in. We have invited key political figures to see what our club is all about and for them to see the restraints we currently have with size of clubrooms and no girl’s facilities etc.”

“This year we will field 16 teams in our local competition and welcome over 200 Auskickers to our home ground each Friday night. It’s safe to say that junior football is absolutely booming in this town! We look forward to growing these numbers even further post Gala Day 2019.”

The Collendina Junior Football Club (CJFC) was established in 2002, based out of Collendina Reserve on Minerva Close, Ocean Grove. Two U/12 sides were entered into the Eastern Colts Little League (ECLL). The following season, the CJFC conducted a merger with the junior section (U/14 and below) of the Ocean Grove Football Netball Club (OGFNC), which was then ratified in January 2003. The Ocean Grove Collendina Cobras Junior Football Club was born.

This saw the club swell from having two Cobras teams compete in 2002 to eight Cobras teams compete in 2003 (four U/12, four U/14). The first piece of recognition for the club came in 2004, when star junior Jordan Jones won the league best and fairest award in the U/14 Division 1. Jones would later go on to play AFL for the West Coast Eagles.

The trophy cabinet got its first lot of silverware in 2005 when the Cobras won the prestigious U/14 Division 1 premiership, defeating much fancied teams from around the Geelong metropolitan area under the tutelage of coach Dave Farrell.

The U/12s also staked their claim with back-to-back Lightning Premierships in 2005 and 2006. By now the club was fully established, having entered its first U/10 team into the ECLL in 2006. This provided a pathway directly from Auskick.

In the decade since, the club has gone from strength to strength, catering for the growing population of Ocean Grove and surrounds. The club has inducted two life members for their contributions: Neale 'Wal' Walter (2011) and Brett Pearson (2014). The Cobras have also produced four AFL draftees, one of whom – Zaine Cordy – became a premiership player for the Western Bulldogs in 2016.

With the recent introduction of U/9s football and AFL Barwon's restructure of junior football age groups, the Cobras now have a huge presence in the local area with 12 teams set to compete in 2018. The continued support of club stalwarts, volunteers, parents and friends has allowed the club to thrive and grow exponentially across its short history.